Hijras of Pakistan

Hijras of Pakistan

English

In Pakistan, like in many other places in the Indian subcontinent and in the south east of Asia , the Hijras are a caste of transsexuals; “Body man with a women´s soul” as they have been defined. Some of them lead a double life and are married and have children in other cities, misleading to their families to find work elsewhere. Others don’t hide their feelings and are often rejected by their own family and death threatened by Talibans or fundamentalist groups. In cities like Lahore it’s easy for them to get unnoticed. There are also cases of Lady Boys falling in love with married men with children. Lady Boys use to live together, often around the figure of a guru or spiritual guide that gives them help and advice. Most of them, they stay in miserable slums and are misunderstood and hated by their own neighbours. A legend dates back their origin twenty thousand years ago when the god Krishna became maiden when he heard a soldier regretting about dying single. At the time of the Mughal empire Hijras were used by emperors and governors to guard their harems. The enjoyed prestige in society and due to their contacts and good situation everyone wanted to be their friends to have direct access to the emperor. Some of them occupied prominent positions in court and had properties. With the British occupation they were persecuted and discriminated. In Pakistan, from the 70s and 80s, with the rise of religious conservatism, coming from Afghanistan, they began to have problems. Currently they live in poor conditions, on prostitution, dancing or doing extras in films, performing in festivals and celebrations, or chasing people to get a measly rupees.